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96 percent of netbooks use Windows, says Microsoft
Author: Ben HardwidgePublished: 8th April 2009
Mainstream netbooks such as HP's Mini 1000 use Ubuntu Linux, but Microsoft says that industry is rapidly shifting towards Windows.
Microsoft’s Windows communications manager, Brandon LeBlanc, revealed the statistic on his Windows Experience Blog, in which he also admits that Windows accounted for less than ten percent of the netbook market share in the first half of 2009. LeBlanc says that the figures are based on the latest NPD Retail Tracking Service data for February 2009, but they're also backed up by some netbook manufacturers. For example, MSI UK's marketing assistant, Pawel Adamiec, told us that "Windows XP accounts for over 98% sales" when it comes to MSI's netbook sales.
LeBlanc jumped on the data to demonstrate that most people don’t want a netbook for a few OS-agnostic tasks, but instead want a fully-fledged PC that works in a familiar way. “Some believed consumers wouldn’t want or need their netbook PC to be a full-featured PC,” says LeBlanc, “in fact, the exact opposite turned out to be true – a number of analysts and researchers following the space see ample evidence indicating customers really DO want netbook PCs to work like their larger brethren – and that the way the vast majority of consumers make that happen is by buying a netbook PC with Windows.”
LeBlanc also pointed to the increased return rates of Linux netbooks compared with Windows netbooks, linking to a story about UK retailer Carphone Warehouse’s reported decision to stop selling Elonex's Ubuntu-based Elonex Webbook. According to the report linked by LeBlanc, the decision to stop selling the netbook was based on customer confustion, resulting in one in five of the machines being returned. However, Carphone Warehouse later denied the story, saying that it was going to stop selling that line of netbooks anyway, regardless of the OS. That said, all netbooks available at the Carphone Warehouse now use Windows.
Similarly, LeBlanc also states that MSI "saw Linux return rates 4 times higher than Windows," but MSI denied this when we asked the company. "We’ve had no major return’s increase in models with Linux," said Adamiec, although he also pointed out that "as a manufacturer, we cover only hardware faults and they hardly ever result from OS-related issues."
Unafraid to put the boot in when it comes to Linux, LeBlanc claims that Windows is “easier to set up, easier to use, and easier to maintain.” He also claims that Windows “just works with people’s stuff” and cites examples of Windows’ support for nearly 3,000 printers, 700 digital cameras and 240 webcams. “Over the last 25 years, we’ve learned a lot about what people want out of an OS,” says LeBlanc, “and we’ve built Windows to meet those needs.”
These needs, according to LeBlanc, include worldwide technical support, easy updates and wizard-based help. “You’ll never need to go to the command line and manually configure things,” he says, and also points out that “Windows supports the broadest array of PC applications and games.”
Do you have or want a netbook? If so, would you be happy with Linux on it, or is Microsoft right in saying that Windows is more appropriate? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
Via InformationWeek.
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STFU Micro-gay.
The only reason that people would choose Windows here over Linux is that it is familiar. Most people fear linux.
"in fact, the exact opposite turned out to be true a number of analysts and researchers following the space see ample evidence indicating customers really DO want netbook PCs to work like their larger brethren and that the way the vast majority of consumers make that happen is by buying a netbook PC with Windows.
also, people are idiots.
I'm sure that'll angry up the blood of you Linux diehards out there, but it's the truth. Only the other day my sister's Acer Aspire went mad, with the wireless drivers just being a pain in the ass. The fix? Reinstall the drivers, via the command line and various tweaks. Not for your average user who's used to just downloading a file and double clicking.
I'd buy a netbook with Linux, but I can see why the sales are dominated by Windows-based ones. XP on a netbook works surprisingly well.
[edit] Roffle, 10 minutes up and already we've got 2 angry linux posts.
Windows: great for gaming, not good for everything else
Linux: too hard to get stuff done for normal folks
Mac OSX: great for few-task small machine such as laptops and netbooks.
hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhfhgh.
i wonder how long until someone says m$.
I personaly would go for ubuntu only. Maybe have XP, but depends on what I use it for. Currently I don't have a netbook. I think M$ has a place, but its not as big as they want, and so it shouldn't be!
I run XP on my MSI Wind and I have no performance problems until I try to run HD video. It boots, restarts and hibernates quickly and the interface is always very responsive.
Windows versions of netbooks tend not to cost much more and generally come with better specs included, like 1GB RAM as opposed to 512MB with Linux.
People aren't idiots for choosing XP netbooks over Linux varieties.
Ummm we're in April the 4th month how is that the first half of 2009?
If he's talking about the first half of 2009 he should hat least wait untill June.
'How do get the WiFi working?' <chuckle>, I showed him the switch on the front and set a basic configuration. Off he went only to reappear Acer in had two weeks later.
'The WiFi is great, works a charm. How do I set up the email account from my isp?'. I set the bits and off he went once more.
A few weeks later, back again but sans Acer I asked how his wife was getting along with her new toy. 'Excellent, web, email, web cam, photo's - she loves it'. Ah ha.
Curious I had to ask where all this new found computer literacy was coming from. Turns out his eight year old grand daughter is sufficiently familiar with computers that she can work out the Linpus interface and apps by playing around. Amazing.
I would have recommended Windows, it would make my life easier if support were needed, but my work mate and his wife had no knowledge of computers, Windows/Linux it didn't matter to them. The grand daughter is so familiar with computers and similar devices she is in effect OS agnostic.
Must dash, I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.
one of my customers got an netbook with linux on it had to send it back as she did not even know what she was buying, was sent back as the printer did not work other one was wireless was not working well (seems about right) and software for work and play would not work as well, got an replacement same one but with XP and an DVD-RW Dual USB drive
not all bad i got 1 customer thats got 2 eepcs 4g model that thay get from school all running linux, once i set the network to WEP securty wireless worked fine on them
I know from experience that the Windows version of the Asus EEE PC 900 came with a 12GB hard drive, the Linux variant came with a 20GB drive, however.
still have a windoze PC but would like to get away from their wares eventually, only problem is i have bought lots of apps and cant switch the license, from now on ill be buying mac apps only and eventually get out of the grips of MS.
Of course for home users there isn't much reason not to use linux as how many of us log in to a remote profile?
XP can literally be put on anything and still be a useable OS.
Your average computer user only knows Windows, why would they want anything different? People have no interest in learning new things, they just want a computer that is easy to use.
XP is actually quite good - after several years of patching and when you put a little effort into configuration it's a good day-to-day usage and gaming system so it fits nicely an a netbook if you're too stupid to use Linux or just prefer XP.
Fanboyism at its finest.
All OS' have a time and a place. Linux isn't always the best one, especially for the general public. Just because some people don't want it doesn't mean they're stupid though.
A bit harsh? I mean not everyone wants to use Linux(I don't) because I haven't the time to learn how to code, ect ect.
I know full well how to modify XP and Vista, and so far it's fine, even great for my needs.
Not to bash Linux, but it's a bit hard to meet that gaming need in any Linux distro w/o a few headaches.
lol fanboi troll alert....
My very old 12" Macbook works just fine as well, just like my windows pcs...
You don't need to know how to code, to be fair. But it is harder work than simple point-and-click tbh.
Don't get me wrong - i don't have anything against Apple, I was just commenting on the effect that Apple's adverts have
I actually prefer an OS that is self intuitive. I spend all day looking at code trying to diagnose issues and come up with solutions. I want an OS that is easy to use and does what I need without having to consult Google on 'How do I do this?'. MS have been doing this for years and OS's like Linux are decades behind.
Note: Until now, I didn't even mention games in this rant. Having to run some sort of emulation software to make a game work on Linux kinda buries the hatchet.
Linux is a great OS, I did all my programming at uni on pcs using command line only versions of Red Hat 6 and managed fine but the majority of average people just don't want the bother of learning another OS, they just want to do the things they know already.
Who's choosing? I haven't seen a linux based netbook on offer in a retail store since before christmas.
Netbooks are sold with wireless contracts now. and it makes sence (for the store) to sell the more expensive model (which is the windows one).
I wouldn't mind a Linux variant with an SSD...but they're not offered unless you specifically order them and they cost the same as a windows one with a 160GB harddisk :(
Other non-critical updates or hotfixes will be chargeable from 14th April, 2009.
/ninja edit
<-- Post count, fifty five? Shvifty vive! :D
If you can name a flavor of Linux other then Ubuntu, RedHat, and Fedora-- you're probably more technically savvy then the average user.
Windows is bloated, yes. This is obvious by the fact that they can't even properly support Vista on a netbook because of the overhead. However, its convenient. Almost every general program out there is programmed for Windows. Recently there has been a lot of cross-support thanks in no small part to Ubuntu, but like people said-- Windows just works.
Sure, Linux is free. Sure, Windows licenses seem expensive. But here's the thing. If Linux and Windows notebooks cost the same price, you aren't be screwed for by "M$" for XP. And if average Joe Consumer wants a new computer, I'm sure they're going to pick "Windows" over "Ubuntu" / "Linux". Heck, honestly, I believe they would pick Apple over Ubuntu if the prices were competitive.
There is no apt-get, no wifi headbanging, (and not that you should be using a netbook for this purpose but) no hoop-jumping to play a good game. You can argue that Wine eases this transition a bit, and it does. But that's still one more program to install and run where in Windows its just... run.
We look at the technical specs. We compare a slip-streamed XP-pro to a fully configured Ubuntu / Linux-Flavor and scream: "OMGZ WTF! LOOKZ!" I honestly don't know if the extra bit of battery life or $1 off the monthly electric bill is enough to make someone learn a new operating system.
I'm not saying Linux is hard to learn. On the contrary if you never had Windows most operating systems can be equally accessible. The flavors of Linux that are CLI only, or similar, KNOW they aren't for Joe Consumer, they don't pretend to be. Linux is generally self-aware in that respect.
However, the people buying netbooks, are college students and older generations. The college student might understand Linux, might have it for fiddling with on his desktop even. But, if you're worried about your term papers, or just want to log on to Facebook, you probably don't want to worry about apt-get, wine, and wifi issues. Here Mac or Windows would be both equally logical choices. But since price would be a decisive factor, Windows would again win out.
For the older generations, if they know computers, they most likely know Windows. Most people wouldn't WANT to learn something new when something familiar is readily available at a similar or same price.
TL;DR
Ubuntu is a very friendly OS, but it still has a way to go to win over Joe Consumer from their Apples and Windows. Remember, we are NOT Joe Consumer.
Learn to read and understand, than write.
If someone doesn't know anything about the stuff they use, they are ignorant. If you don't know crap about OS you use (95% of users), you are technically ignorant. The same goes to music listeners, car owners, you name it.
The point is that Linux is for the 5% that are interested in the technology behind the gadgets they use (sociology studies show that only around 4-6% people express active interest in the world around them, rest are just passive grey mass).
Basically, there are two choices of OS if you want to work efficiently - Linux (or *BSD for some) and Windows XP. Vista, Seven and OSX are for the rest that want their "computer" to have shiny windows and nice icons, without any kind of in-depth knowledge.
If you call that fanboyism than you sir are an idiot, sorry.
I'd rather have a command line that makes it work than a wizards that leads me nowhere. Besides, I love a command line, it's a very efficient piece of software. The best of it: you can go completely without it. Try finding your currept IP in windows. I still need cmd for it.
In linux, you don't need the command line, I just find it handy. MS thinks linux is still in the command line age. They aren't so quick in understanding.
And who could ever be suprised that THEY say THEIR product is better?